Car-coupling



(No Model.)

0. Pi SPRINGER. GAR COUPLING.

Patented June 7, 1892.

mesa: 5'.

UNITED STATES CLIFTON F. SPRINGER,

CAR-CO OF DES MOINES, IOlVA.

UPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 476,322, dated June '7, 1892.

1. Serial No. 411,750. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLIFTON F. SPRINGER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Des Moines, in the county of Folk and State of Iowa, have invented an Improved Automatic Oar-Coupling, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of careouplers in which lateral-moving hinged jaws are reciprocally engaged and extend horizontally to be lifted by the rear extension of the jaw as the jaw assumes a closed position, to allow the extremity of the jaw-extensi0n to pass in rear of the latch, so'that the latch can then by force of gravity resume its normal position and lock the jaw, as required, to prevent uncoupling.

Heretofore jaws and latches of various configuration have been combined with a drawhead and the jaw automatically locked by means of the latch; and my invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of a jaw and a latch and a draw-head, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aperspective view of a jaw, showing the rear extension and the extremity thereof adapted in shape to engage the gravitating latch. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view of a draw-head, showing the latch in its normal position and the extremity of the rear end of a jaw engaged by the latch. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal horizontal sectional view of a draw-head looking down from the line indicated by the dotted line a: no in Fig. 2, showing the jaw and the latch in position, as re quired, to retain the jaw locked. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the latch adapted to be engaged and lifted by the rear extension of the jaw. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing my invention applied to a car as required for practical use.

A represents the draw head, and B the hinged jaw. The rear extension B in con1- bination with the main part of the jaw, forms an acute angle that allows the draw-head to .be narrowed.

C is an integral cam on the extremity of the extension B adapted to enter a cavity in a latch and to lift the latch.

D is a latch adapted to be pivoted in a cavity in the draw-head in such a manner thatit will rest upon the flat bottom of the cavity in its normal position, and also in such a manner that its inner and free end can be lifted. In the front face and lower part of the cenan inclined roof adapted to be engaged by the cam on the end of the rear extension B of the jaw Bin such a manner that the latch will be lifted thereby as the jaw is swung inward and into a closed position, as shown 111 Fig. 3. The front face of the free end of the latch is inclined and adapted to engage the inside face and acute angle of the extenslon B of the jaw.

F is a bolt passed through ahorizontal bore in the draw-head and through a coinciding perforation in the outer end of the latch D, as required to pivot the latch.

H is a chain fastened. to the latch and extended up through a perforation in the drawhead and attached to the end of an arm projecting from a rock-shaft H resting in the bearers J and J that are fixed to the car in such a manner that a person at the side of the car can operate the shaft to thereby lift the chain and latch, as required, to unlock and free the rear extension B of the jaw, so that when two jaws are reciprocally engaged they will separate and cars connected therewith uncoupled.

J is a rack fixed to the car to engage ahandle J that is formed on or fixed to the end of the shaft, so that the shaft will be thereby retained stationary and the latch elevated and inoperative Whenever desired.

In the practical operation of my invention the cam on the end of the rear extension of the jaw enters the cavity in the latch and engages the roof of the cavity, which roof is inclined longitudinally, but extends horizontally at right angles to the perpendicular sides of the latch, so that all the pressure of the cam is directly upward, as required, to lift the latch without being subjected to any lateral pressure and such binding force as results from lateral or rearward pressure from a jaw that has an inclined face to enter, like a wedge, under a latch that has a correspondingly-inclined face to admit the wedge-shaped jaw to slip under the latch and subject it to rearward or lateral pressure while lifting the tral portion of the latch is a cavity that has latch. By means of the angular cavity and a'solid Wall at the rear side of the cavity common coupling-links are prevented from being thrust through under the latch to be clamped fast in a draw-head when a car carrying a link comes in connection with a carthat is equipped with my improved coupling.

I claim as my invention- In a car-coupling, a latch consisting of a block of metal having a cavity in its front side that is open at its bottom and closed at its rear side and has aroof that extends horizontally in a plane that is at right angles to the front face of the latch and inclined rela- 

